Herbal Teas to Avoid Giving To Children

While herbal teas have many health benefits and can take care of a myriad of ailments for everyone in your home of all ages, some teas should not be given to children. Children have different needs at different stages of their lives, and small children can be sensitive to substances that adults will not be bothered by. This list of teas that children should avoid will help you to take care of your family with confidence! The next time your small child wants some tea, you will know which teas to reach for.

Catnip Tea: This tea is a classic choice for many people to treat fever, respiratory infection and colic. It can also treat headache and sleep disorders. This tea seems to be totally safe in adults, but there have been reports of children who were given this tea becoming excessively drowsy. This is not a proven tea for children and should be avoided. Many other choices will offer the same benefits to your child without the added drowsiness.

You might also enjoy: Things to Know about Herbal Infusion Teas . Echinacea Tea: This herbal tea has been well-known for years to be an immune booster that can help fend off flu season ailments and can help decrease the duration of illnesses that you or your child are fighting off. Studies, however, have shown that children were victim to allergic reactions in some cases when given this tea and that dermatitis was a common side effect.

There are many other ways to deliver echinacea to your child in smaller doses that are not linked with skin irritation. You might also enjoy: Best Tasting Herbal Teas . Liquorice Root Tea: This tea is often used to treat stomach upset and can also help with stomach ulcers and lung congestions. This tea is fine to give to your child in small doses, but should not be given multiple times a day. If overdosed on this tea, children got headaches, were fatigued and reported salt and water retention.

This may be due to the stimulant nature of the tea and its relative strength when given to children versus adults. St. John’s Wort: This is a tea that is commonly used to treat depression in adults. It has not been tested on children in any large number, but there are reports of dizziness, nausea and confusion in children who have been given this tea. There are likely no necessary benefits that you can give to your child through offering this tea and so there really should be no occasion to offer it to them.

Avoiding the wrong herbal teas can help make sure that your children are getting the right amounts of the herbs that they need for health without overdosing on some of these teas. You will also readily be able to offer them the health benefits of these teas that should be avoided through other teas that are safe for children and will not cause side effects. Best of all, many of these teas have a strong flavour, so your child will likely wish to avoid them in any case.

Offering them a more pleasant-tasting and enjoyable tea with fewer side effects is a win for everyone. You might also enjoy: Best Herbs to Diffuse in Children’s Rooms ..